Sharks
by Skovko
Summary: Gabby always said that if she ever knows she's gonna die anyway, she'll go down with the sharks she works with. To Roman this was always a joke until the day she started feeling unwell, and the hospital tests came back.


Roman yawned and walked out in the kitchen. It was hard having to deal with night shifts. He usually got out of bed when Gabby had just returned from work. She worked with sharks. Studying them in the ocean everyday. She loved those damn sharks. So much that she often said that if she ever needed to die, she would go there and feed herself to them. Some sort of morbid humor. It always made Roman grin though. Morbid humor could be fun.

"Morning, sweetheart," he kissed the top of her head. "How was work?"  
"August tried to kill me again," she said.  
"The newcomer? He's still swimming into the cage?" He asked.  
"He's determined to get me," she said.  
"Tell him I don't share," he chuckled.

He poured coffee in a mug and turned around. First now did he notice she didn't look like herself. She looked worn out.

"Are you okay?" He asked.  
"Just tired," she sighed. "I had a headache all night so I didn't sleep well."  
"Maybe take a nap," he said.  
"I'll sleep when you go to work tonight," she said.  
"I'll cook dinner then. Just relax a bit," he said.  
"Thank you, love," she said.

She got up from the chair, walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. He placed the mug down on the counter top and held her tight. It had to have been a shitty night for her to need him that much in that moment. He wasn't complaining though. He would hold her anytime she needed him to.

"Any news from the hospital?" He asked.  
"Not yet," she answered. "It's probably nothing or they would have called."  
"I know. It's just better to know for sure," he said. "Is that's why you're tired? Are you lying awake worrying what they might find?"  
"No, I don't worry," she looked up and smiled at him. "I love you."  
"I love you too," he smiled back.

She had felt tired a lot lately. Some weird pain was there too. She had been to the hospital to have tests taken. They were still waiting for answers. She didn't seem to worry though so Roman didn't worry around her either. He worried when he was alone though. One of the doctors had thrown an ugly word out there. Cancer. Maybe. No one knew for sure. He wasn't ready to lose her to cancer or anything else. He wanted to get those answers soon so he could put his mind at ease.

"What do you want for dinner?" He asked.  
"Something Mexican," she said.  
"Hot and spicy," he grinned. "On it."

* * *

Roman came home in the early morning hours after another night shift. Gabby wasn't home. Nothing weird in that. She always left before he came home. What was weird was his phone ringing. It was her coworker Karl Anderson's name on the display. Roman had no idea why Karl of all people would call him.

"Hello?" Roman asked.  
"Roman, it's Karl. Do you have Gabby nearby? She's not picking up her phone," Karl said.  
"She should be at work," Roman said.  
"She's not here and one of the boats are missing. Probably stolen," Karl said.

Roman looked at the piece of paper left on the kitchen table. Karl was still talking in the background but Roman didn't hear what was being said. He stared at the letter sent with the results of her tests. The ugly word was there. Cancer. Malignant. No treatment would work. She would die.

"Karl!" Roman barked. "I'm on my way!"

Everything the day before ran through Roman's head as he drove to the dock. He now knew she had been lying when she talked about having a headache. She hadn't been tired. She had been crying because she had gotten that letter. And worse, she had chosen not to share it with him. He parked his car, jumped out of it and ran towards Karl.

"She's out there," Roman said.  
"What? Where?" Karl asked.  
"She's the one who stole the boat. She's out there. She's always said that if she knows she's gonna die, she'll go down with the sharks. Damn it! August has had it out for her since he arrived. She's fucking out there, Karl," Roman said.  
"Fuck!" Karl blurted out and pointed at another boat. "Get on the boat."

They both jumped on the boat. A couple of Karl's coworkers jumped on it too. Roman didn't have time to figure out who they were. Karl sailed out, and soon the lost boat came into view. Karl sailed close enough for them to jump from boat to boat.

"Gabby!" Roman yelled.  
"She's not here," Karl said.  
"She has to be," Roman said.  
"Roman, she's not here. Look at the water. There's still some traces of blood," Karl said. "She... She..."

Karl placed a hand on Roman's shoulder. Roman turned around, wrapped his arms around Karl, fell do his knees with the smaller man, and sobbed uncontrollably.

"No!" Roman screamed.  
"I'm sorry," Karl said.

There wasn't anything else Karl could say in that moment. He held his arms around Roman and kept telling him he was sorry while one of his coworker called it in on the radio. Soon another boat would arrive to try and search for her even though it would be pointless. Roman knew it, and Karl knew it. All Karl could do was sit there with Roman, trying to comfort the bigger man and telling him how sorry he was. Empty words that wouldn't help anything.


End file.
